A Shade of Red
by UndyingRevenge
Summary: Kurama Escapes his world but in the process becomes entangled in the creation ritual of a shade
1. Prologue

"Maybe this world is another planet's Hell."  
\- Aldous Huxley (1894-1963)

The world around me smells naught but of ash and cinder. The earth weeps from the torment it has been subjected to, water collecting into a newly born valley that now stands as a monument to my weakness. I awake from my mental prison to find a physical cage somehow binding me in place. Thick fingers of tempered wood encase every limb from snout to tail, constricting and suppressing even the most rudimentary attempts to escape its unyielding grasp.

I am given no other choice but to watch the two humans who bound me bicker at one another. They shout and yell, scream and slash for what seems like hours in an unending dance of combat. In that time I come to realize that the two fighting are the most recent reincarnations of Indra and Ashura. Their chakra signatures are all too familiar and I can't help but let out a growl of disappointed disgust at the realization. I secluded myself away from humanities self-destructing idiocy for nearly a decade only to be dragged back by these two of all people. Indra's cursed eyes have placed me in this situation but I feel that controlling my mind is not the only thing he has done. A vague recollection of fuinjutsu scrolls passes through my mind but the specifics elude me even now that I was free from his genjutsu.

Eventually, the struggle concludes with Ashuras victory though he seems rather disheveled by the battle. He walks toward me and is soon joined by a woman who seems to have been watching from the sidelines. They converse for a moment before coming to some agreement and approaching my shackled form.

"Nine-Tails, your power is simply too great. Regrettably, I cannot let you run loose." The man says solemnly.

I am actually rather curious what these mortals thought they could accomplish against me. Even the wood caging me will break soon enough due to my chakras constant pressure. That curiosity is shredded into pieces when the woman begins writing seals onto her navel. I was no fuinjutsu novice, I knew a master's work when I saw it. There is no way I will allow this incredibly intricate seal to activate anywhere near me.

I can't mold chakra for a bijuu dama in the normal way since my muzzle is clamped shut but I will not be contained so easily. Inside my throat, I gather energy whilst being careful to not show what I was planning to do. The woman caught on that something was wrong regardless and shouts something to her partner.

 _ **"Too late,"**_ I thought before swallowing the miniature energy sphere. The blastwave threw earth chunks for miles and creates a dust cloud that obscures the whole width of the recently created valley. The branches restraining me are torn asunder but I felt that the two humans are still alive, having somehow domed themselves in a wooden bunker in the time it took for me to sneeze.

Still, I was in no shape to fight, I am drained and that last move has decimated my sinuses, nearly blinding me as well from the resulting earthen shrapnel. I make my exit before the dust has cleared from the area. I hate fleeing from a fight but these humans are not to be underestimated. I will fight them once I regain my full strength, after all, it wouldn't be wise to underestimate a fellow son of the sage of six paths.

XxxxX XxxxX

Three days after the fight at the valley of the end three humans track me down to my mountain den. I was expecting more but it appears that Ashura's reincarnation is arrogant enough to only bring a few people with him to fight me. It doesn't matter though, I am at full strength again and I am aware of his ability to suppress my chakra with his wood jutsu. I take note of the other attendees making sure to analyze any tactical advantage they might impart to Ashuras fighting style. One sports red eyes and white hair but I observe that these eyes are not sharingan, meaning that the man is likely unimportant. The other is the woman from before, though she appears to be staying well away from the entrance.

I guess that she was more a support fighter than a front liner or perhaps her only purpose was for her fuinjutsu prowess. Regardless I won't be letting her anywhere near me, I know that father defeated the Juubi using seals, thus I know to be wary of letting an unknown use experimental seals on me.

Just as the two humans began to reach the entranceway of my den I whip my tails forward and unleash a wave of razor-like wind chakra. Before the attack could hit a half dome of wood springs into existence around the two, deflecting the wind blast around them and dispersing the chakra within the technique, leaving naught but a gentle breeze in its wake. So the suppressing properties extend to chakra transformations as well. This should be more troublesome than I originally anticipated.

My thoughts prove true as any and all techniques I knew are disrupted by the wood users defenses. There was a moment in the fight were I almost skewer Ashuras incarnation when I extended a tail underground but something impossible happens. The red-eyed man grabs his brothers shoulder and the two simply vanish from existence. They reappear directly underneath me and nearly pin me in branches, but I manage to leap away at the last moment. As the fight progresses I find out that the white-haired man is able to teleport to a marked location via some kind of seal. Normally this would not be much of a problem, simply destroy the markers and he wouldn't be able to evade me any longer. The problem was that the man had devised a jutsu that created copies of himself as well, each with their own copies of the seal. The two men work flawlessly together like they had been fighting together all their lives. I find myself truly outmatched for the first time in my life. The sheer maneuverability and defensive abilities are ridiculous and the two seem to have stupidly high chakra reserves on top of everything else. They are also quick to adapt to my combat strategies and I find myself quickly being set on the backfoot, my offensive attacks now being used merely to stop the grasping wood instead of trying to target the humans directly.

Still, I refuse to be bested so easily, If I couldn't win this fight then I would retreat and think of something later. Worse case scenario I could hide until they died of old age, though I doubt my patience or pride would let me truly follow through with such a plan. Firing a quick overpowering bijuu dama at the ground I create enough cover to begin my retreat. It took three more dama and an hour-long chase before I lost the two and even that is only due to their inability to keep up with my limitless stamina.

With wounded pride and bleak thoughts of what the future entailed I decide to seek out a sanctuary, one I had only ever been to when I was very very young. My temple, one of nine that the sage and his followers had built for his children. One for each of the Biju, the temples were scattered across the elemental nations and once served as homes for the nine of us during our first years after father's death. I had not returned in almost a thousand years so I had little idea if it is even still standing. With how many seals fathers followers had reinforced it with Id honestly be surprised if it weren't still standing.

Sure enough, after a two-day run and a treck up a secluded mountain path, the massive structure still stood in all its glory. Its walls look just as pristine as the day I left, standing before its massive gates I can't help but wonder if any of the sages true followers existed anymore. After Indra and Ashura's original feud escalated the sages followers split apart into many different factions, many ninshu users becoming the precursors of today's ninja when they converted to using ninjutsu.

 _Scum the lot of them, twisting fathers teachings like they did. All father ever wanted was peace for mankind yet his true teachings seem to be all but forgotten in this modern era_. I thought to myself.

Having nothing better to do I explore my old living quarters and simply enjoy the nostalgia of remembering simpler times. The interior is just as I remember with the exception of one new structure that is hidden behind a false wall. Exploring the passage reveals a large empty room with only a library of moderate proportion taking up a section of one corner, altogether housing a few hundred scrolls and books of all genres. A corner table with a massive magnifying glass is the only other furniture besides the bookshelves, providing me with a perfect method of reading the comparatively tiny letters.

 _This addon must have been made with me in mind, I wonder why no one ever showed it to me before?_

On my third straight day of binge reading, I find a scroll wedged under one of the bookshelves that answers my questions about this addon. The followers of the sage built the room hundreds of years after the sages death in an attempt to stop a prophecy that foretold of the juubi's resurrection. Father had once spoken of the bijuu being reunited but after a thousand years, my siblings and I had agreed that the prophecy was likely not going to happen, or if it did then it would be far into the future. Still, the scroll is fascinating, it details various fuinjutsu experiments that would shunt chakra into extradimensional space in an attempt to permanently remove a bijuu from the world. Other methods were detailed within but none were as complete as the first entry. At the end of the scroll, a note details the last of the follower's experiments and how they gave up on their endeavor due to the dangers involved.

All this work for an asinine prophecy and they didn't even do anything with their knowledge, typical humans. I thought morosely

Scouring the library for any more hidden gems leaves me disappointed so I decided to take a break by walking the perimeter of the temple. Upon taking a single step outside the boundaries of the temple a flair of discomfort washes through me and a memory from my brainwashed state returns. Madara had somehow bound me to a summoning contract while I was enslaved and the bastard was still alive!

The summoning nearly immobilizes me while I fight its pull. _I WON'T LET MYSELF BE PUPPETED BY THAT WORM AGAIN EVEN IF IT KILLS- wait. Can that experimental fuinjutsu break summoning contracts? It supposedly worked by manipulating dimensions after all so there is at least a small change of it working._

I am caught in between my fear of using dangerous fuinjutsu and my hatred for being used as a tool by someone else. My hatred wins out, and I begin drawing. 

XxxxX (Throne room, Urû'baen) XxxxX

Galbatorix chuckles as his mad plan to create a perfect shade comes closer to completion, his test subject screaming as more and more spirits shove at one another in their new cage. Just before the process is supposed to reach completion the scream suddenly stops and an unearthly roar takes its place, the caged spirits shoot out of the vessel as they are forced out by a much greater power.

Galbatorix watches on in fascination even as he mutters spells to re-enforce the room from the concussive shockwave that emanates from his new creation.

Eventually, the roar fades into deep jagged breathing and the shades blood red slitted eyes begin focusing on its surroundings. Soon the two meet eyes and the king begins to laugh once more.

"This is most unexpected. Still, you will be a perfect pawn to assist Durza."

The shade takes a moment to understand the words but when it does a look of rage fills its visage.

 _ **"I am no one's pawn human,"**_ it speaks in a deep baritone that brings a chill to the king's spine

Before the king can react a purple ball of energy begins to form before quickly destabilizing and igniting in a thunderous explosion that tears a chunk of the castle asunder. In the confusion and panic, the shade like creature makes its escape, heading toward far-off cliffs and forests that line the coast that it somehow knew to be called 'The Spine'.


	2. Chapter 1: Not so Alone

"It is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring."  
\- Carl Sagan (1934-1996)

The first few days were a blur as I try to make sense of my new environment. I felt constrained in this tiny human vessel, it was far too small to properly contain my chakra but every time I tried to break free of its hold a searing pain would shoot through its nervous system, ruining my concentration and creating a horrible migraine the likes of which I had never experienced before. I roamed the forests of this new world thoroughly enraptured by its strangeness. The raw nature energy suffusing the world was strangely tame compared with its devastatingly potent potential, yet the flora and fauna seemed rather lackluster given their connection to such potent power. The largest beast within five miles seemed to be cave bears and they only seemed to have grown a few meters taller than an average human. My thoughts drift for a bit while I wonder about the forests of this mountain range known as 'The Spine'.

"How is it that I know this place is called the spine? I feel as if this place is vaguely familiar to me but that makes no sense. This world seems like its suffused with chakra but it almost feels constrained compared to my worlds nature energies." I say out loud to myself while running through a particularly dense field of bushes.

A ghostly whisper of curiosity stirs in the background of my thoughts before abruptly stopping, quickly thereafter disappearing from my perception. I stop mid-stride as I try to make sense of the strange intrusive thought.

With a concentrated effort of will, my mind falls inward on itself shifting my view to that of my inner mindscape.

 _Through this method, I should be able to locate the origin point of the foreign thoughts._

Within my personal domain, I follow the metaphysical scent of the flow of thoughts and discover something interesting. The foreign presence seems to have come from the mind of the human whose body I was currently processing. Somehow the humans' soul had survived the containment ritual by stowing away within my mindscape. It had thought to escape my notice by keeping quiet but it seems that that plan had some rather large holes in it.

Deciding to get some answers I grasped the presence and forced it to take a more corporeal form within my mental reality.

"Well aren't you a clever one. I might not have ever noticed your presence if it weren't for your own curiosity getting the better of you." I say amusedly

"Just leave me be demon! You've already stolen my body but I refuse to let my mind be used against the Varden!" The man shaped congregation of memories yells frantically while struggling to escape my grasp.

Distorted recollections of said faction accidentally break free of the human in his panicked state. This faction seemed to oppose the man who dared bind me to this fleshy prison.

"You misunderstand something human, I despise this Galbatorix for trapping me in your pathetic human body. I also care nothing of this Varden faction and frankly I don't really care about your wishes either. The reason why I'm allowing you to continue existing is to answer my questions about your world. I'm generously providing an opportunity for you to answer my questions civilly before I am forced to crack open your mind like an egg."

The threat was an idle one, as cracking open the humans' mind would leave the information herein completely unreadable to me.

Gulping with trepidation the man thinks on what I've said before replying.

"If it's unrelated to the Varden then I'll answer your questions but I would have you swear an oath as proof."

Deciding to agree I follow through with the humans' request, even going so far as to copy its absurd pronunciations in a different language. Soon thereafter the human was much more cooperative and seemed slightly confused by my quick acquiescence.

Most of my questions revolved around the geography and history of this new world I found myself in. I soon learned of the different races and how the continent of Alagaesia was divided up between them. After about an hour of this, I grew bored with the humans lecturing and decide to leave the rest of the explanation for a later time. After all, it wasn't like the human was going anywhere. Leaving my mindscape I look up at the now darkening sky and ponder whether or not this body even needed sleep due to the changes my presence had caused.

 _"I doubt it, if my body were at all human anymore then we would have been starving or dehydrated by now."_ the human responds to my thoughts in a bitter tone

Ignoring my tenant's commentary I decide to find a resting spot regardless of the necessity of the act. Sleeping had never been a necessity for me but I still felt the urge to relax, especially after the chaos my day had been thus far.

Finding a sufficiently comfortable tree branch I lie down and simply gaze at the sky as the stars slowly fade into view as day shifts inexorably into the night. My thoughts wander about for a time while I enjoy the solitude, the sounds of nature lulling me into a false sense of peace before the human completely shatters that illusion with its irritating mental voice.

 _"I can't help but ask, what are you? You don't act like a normal spirit, and your questions have me baffled as to your intentions."_

"My intention is to find some peace and solitude. You are useful to me in that you can tell me where people won't be but if my peace is interrupted by you again I will not hesitate to eradicate you from my mind. Are we clear?" I state aloud in a deceptively calm voice, completely ignoring the first half of his questioning

Silence is his answer and I can't help but smile at how quick the human was to learn. Maybe I'll even keep it around as a sort of pet should I ever manage to escape its body.

The days thereafter pass in a slow meandering way as I go farther and farther north until one evening I happen upon a small farming village.

 _"It's called Carvahall. Should be the last place of inhabitants you should find this far north in Alagaesia. However, before we go can I ask but one favor?"_

"I don't see why not, you've been adequately helpful thus far so I suppose I can grant you this request."

 _"There is a group of three travelers who are going to be passing relatively nearby who are very important to the Varden. In fact, the reason Galbatorix had me captive was to learn of these peoples traveling path. My favor is to intercept them so that we can leave a warning for the Varden and a goodbye message for my family."_

AN: This is still a 'just fun exercise', still if anyone has requests for what they want to see feel free to suggest things. If they are awesome or amusing enough Ill see what I can do to incorporate it into the story.


	3. Chapter 2: Elves and a Shade

This was turning out to be more effort than I initially anticipated. These cursed symbols made little sense and the wood I was using to write on was starting to get stuck under my nails.

 _"Maybe if we had just stopped at the village we could have procured some paper and ink. Engraving letters on wood is fine but you've created so much more work for yourself."_ My tenant responds with wry amusement

Growling in anger I slam a fist into a nearby tree trunk causing it to explode backward and topple over in a loud cacophonous burst of sound.

"I swear by the sage if you don't shut up I'll end this ridiculous escapade now."

Frustration boils to a peak after another set of symbols fails to be copied properly onto the bark.

"That's it! I'm just going to give this cursed message to these travelers verbally. This subtly plan was doomed from the start." I bite out angrily as I embed the half legible woodblock into a tree trunk

 _"I've told you how they are going to react to a shade. These three are highly skilled elves, they are going to try killing us on sight if you approach them like that."_

"I don't see how that is my problem. In fact, now that I think about it, killing your body might just be my ticket to freedom!" I say excitedly while putting on a burst of speed down the hidden forest trail

 _"Oh come on! Let's be reasonable here! There is no proof that killing my body won't just kill you too."_ My passenger tries to reason halfheartedly

I simply laugh at his distraught tone and continue onward toward where the supposed elves would be.

XxxxX XxxxX

We were near the trails where my passenger said that these elves would pass through but my dark emotion sensing was detecting nothing for miles around us.

 _"The elves are an enigmatic bunch, perhaps they have a way to conceal themselves from you ability with magic."_

After a few hours of silent waiting something pings on my senses. Three black entities rife with malcontent and hunger for power almost blind me with their sheer avarice. The entities were unlike any living thing I'd ever felt before, somehow all three were mirroring each other's emotions, almost like they were a single living thing rather than distinct individuals.

I stayed silent for a while longer, my curiosity getting the better of me. The conglomerate seemed to stop for a time before being joined by other lesser creatures, all the while a malicious eagerness starts to simmer in the amalgam. About an hour afterward the eagerness turns to vindictive joy and suddenly two new presences Flickr into my perception, one of rage and defiance and the other horror and despair.

Blasting through the forest at an inhuman speed I close in on the location of the groups in a manner of seconds. Just as I arrive one of the newer presences fades into non-existence and I see a figure in dark armor holding up an elf by its broken neck. On the ground is another elf who seems to be clutching something and muttering under its breath. Surrounding them are a plethora of ugly beast men with horns on their head.

 _"You have to save them! That thing is Galbatorix's shade, Durza."_

 _"That's All I need to know."_

With a malicious grin, I rocket into melee range of the abomination and slam a fist into its torso, sending the creature rocketing through the forest and clear out of sight faster than the eye could see.

Everyone but the chanting elf goes quiet as they try to make sense of my sudden appearance. I simply gaze at the creatures with disinterest until a flare of blue light flashes through the area and the remaining elf draws its blade.

The creatures storm forward in a mad rush but they were so incredibly slow compared to my speed. I distractedly kill each and every one of them with lazy blows to the temple or chest, caving in their rudimentary armor with ease. After all the beasts are taken care of I shift my attention to the last elf who still has its sword drawn.

When our eyes meet the elf stiffens and I can feel dread seep into its being.

"So you must b-" I start to say before a blinding sphere of fire hits me from the direction of the fallen shade, obliterating most of my sternum in a shower of smoky ash.

"So sad, a welp like you never really stood a chance. You've barely a single soul to yourself so it's to be expected I suppose," Durza mocks while slowly walking back into the clearing.

"Now that that is taken care of shall we continue where we left off?" Durza says while turning his gaze toward the elf

The shock of my wound falls away at that moment, mind-numbing pain takes its place and shadowing out the conversation happening behind me.

 _"Well there you go, you got what you wished for didn't you."_ The annoying voice of my passenger breaks in through my agony

 _"That's Right. I planned for this, maybe I can escape now that this fleshy sac is broken."_ I manage to think through the haze of pain

Pushing with all my will Chakra begins pouring out of the hole like a river. The only problem being that said chakra was somehow being drawn back toward the body again, creating a cloak of dense chakra around it. Still, the chakra conformed to my will and I begin shaping the visage of my old form, nine long tails of chakra accompanying the cloak.

With a roar of pain and frustration, a second surge of chakra fills into my gaping wound closing my exit point shut.

"Dammit, I didn't even get halfway out!" I bark out madly as I take a look at the silhouette of my original form covering my human vessel.

"Impossible, I destroyed your heart. No, there is too little magic here... Your illusions won't fool me elf, this is over!" Durza bellows before turning toward the elf

With his back turned I dash over on all fours and slash at the shades head with chakra cloak created claws. The shades head is cut clean off causing the remains to disappear into a smoky substance.

With panting breaths, I turn my gaze once more on the elf before smiling a wicked grin of victory.

The elf simply stares for a moment before something shifts in its emotions following soon after is a projection of thought which seises hold of my mind in an iron grip.

A single word reverberates through my head.

 ** _"Malthinae"_**

My vision goes dark and someone else slips into my place.


	4. Chapter 3: Meat Shield

My goal is to create a life I don't need a vacation from  
-unknown

My senses return in a sudden disorienting burst, the first thing I see through my groggy consciousness is the blasted elf sitting across from me. The second thing I notice is a mind-numbing migraine and when I try to move my hand to my head I notice that my host body is somehow disconnected from my will by an almost glasslike mental constraint.

Rage, scorchingly hot burns through my mind, nearly melting the flimsy mental barrier.

 _These pathetic mortals think they can cage me like some animal?! They will_ -

My host begins speaking, seemingly responding to a question that was asked while I was unconscious.

"It's funny ya know. This spirit isn't anything like what I've been told to expect from shade lore. Sure the contempt for humanity is there but everything else…"

"How do you mean?" The elf asks in a dry cracking voice.

My host takes his time to answer, idly contemplating the hardened nails left behind from my lingering influence on his body.

"When it first noticed my presence in its mind there was a moment where I was at its mercy. It had every reason to simply erase me from existence and you know what it did instead?"

The elf's visage showed no sign of changing, simply waiting for my host's response.

"It bargained, it spoke with me and offered concessions to gain what it wanted. Even behind all the threats and bluster, there was something more, something human enough to desire companionship, well at least enough to not silence me outright anyway. In those first moments in Urubaen I feared Galbatorix had managed to capture a god, its power blew straight through the castle wards like they were paper to a flame, but after I watched the stars through its eyes I… I just don't know what to think anymore."

Slowly sighing the elf glances off to the left. Following the movement my host glances at what seems to be two fresh graves sporting saplings instead of headstones. The grief and regret wash through the elf before she turned back in our direction.

"I fear that I have no other options then. You vouch for this creature and killing you will only complicate the situation further. Be gone then, my spell will wear off in a few days. Give my apologies to your spirit. Atra du evarínya ono Varda." The elf says dismissively in a neutral tone.

My host stares in shock for a moment before a tinge of anger sparks within, the anger entering into his next words.

"You would let go just like that?! This spirit could be the key to dethroning Galbatorix and you are just going to let this opportunity just pass by!"

"What would you have of me? By your own admission, this spirit is too powerful to be controlled. Additionally, if our allies discover that we are cavorting with shades then the people will think us no better than the empire." The elf replies in the same neutral tone that only infuriates my host further.

The irritation and anger seem to press upon the already weakened mental divider causing it to crack and shatter in a gleaming rainbow of shards. Suddenly I felt myself in command of my host's body once again, mental cursing propagating through my mind from my displaced host's presence within my mind.

The elf tenses as she somehow detects the abrupt change of ownership. I feel the migraine double at the abrupt flood of sensory input and grimace in discomfort. I move my hand toward my head to rub at my temples but I am stopped by an even greater pain.

The elf seems to have taken my expression and movement as an aggressive act having drawn her blade in a flashing arc that leaves the blade piercing straight through my heart. The draw of chakra to the wound worsens the already distracting migraine pushing me over the edge. With a mental push, I shove my host's mind back into place and sign in relief at the dulling of the pain.

Elven eyes stare in confused horror as my host looks down at the blade embedded into his chest.

My host takes in a hissing breath before yelling out in shock and pain.

"FUUUUUU-"

I mentally wince feeling a slight twinge of something that felt suspiciously like regret

OH I'LL SHOW YOU REGRET! The mental voice of my host yells before shoving me into the forefront of our shared space.

My weakened state turns the mental struggle into a desperate wrestling match as we both try to push the other into the 'driver's seat' of our body.

Arya in a state of shock looks on at the shifting facial expressions of Karns face in horror. The human mage seemed to be fighting the spirit even as his heart beat itself to pieces against her blade which was still impaled within his chest. Finally, Karn seemed to emerge victoriously, panting heavily through tear stained eyes.

"Arya please," He says in a hoarse voice

She was doing all she could to try ending his suffering quickly but the only method of killing a shade wasn't working!

"Get it out."

"I'm trying! I'm sorry but I don't have the energy for another spell" Arya says sorrowfully

Karn looks back at her with confusion before he groans out another word.

"The blade Arya, the blade" He pleads.

With a stunned intake of breath Arya quickly removes her blade causing Karn to gasp in pained relief as the wound closed with a smoking hiss.

"What just happened?" Arya states in confusion

Karn laughs through a few coughs of blood before smiling up at Arya.

"That dear Arya was the groundwork being laid for a beautiful relationship."

XxxxX XxxxX

"I'm never going out again." I groan through the mind shattering pain pulsing through my skull

"Now now, that would be going against your promise now wouldn't it!" My host mentally says with vindictiveness

"I'm going to enjoy devouring your soul worm."

"And I might just let you AFTER we kill Galbatorix. Now what's with you anyway?"

"Just leave me be, I'll figure this out after I get some rest."

Mentally withdrawing, Karn contemplates what might have happened and asks Arya for a favor.

A mental probe from Arya has his tenant writhing uncomfortably and Karn decides to explore this weakness of his new partner when they were both in a better state.

AN: Watching Venom yesterday gave me some motivation for the story, again this fic isnt all that serious and is mostly for my own entertainment. If you spot any grammer mishaps please inform me as I do not have a beta and as always Im up for suggestions for the course of the story


	5. Chapter 4: Impatience

"The most valuable of all education is the ability to make yourself do the thing you have to do, when it has to be done, whether you like it or not."

\- Aldous Huxley

It took a single nights rest for my mental pain to subside and the next morning I found myself in immediate control of my new body. The elf bitch had woken instants after and I felt rage slowly simmering just looking at her. Even Karn had a certain dislike for the creature and seemed to only reluctantly give excuses not to kill her on the spot. Looking in my direction the elf frowns before visibly sighing.

"You likely haven't noticed this yet but when you switch control there are some physical characteristics that go along with it. Your eyes become a vivid red and your hands become more claw-like when you are in control and...I've just realized that you haven't given your name. I apologize for my rudeness. My name is Arya." The elf seemed to pause as if expecting me to reply

"If you are expecting me to just give my name away then don't hold your breath. There hasn't been a mortal alive for a millennium who has earned that privilege. Frankly, I'm still debating whether or not to kill you here and now." I state back half seriously

"I would advise against that. You are not as invulnerable as you'd like to believe." Arya states back wearily

 _'She isn't bluffing actually. When you were out we sorta found out that mental attacks hit you a bit harder than they should. Theoretically, I can probably block mental attacks but I think I would have to be at the forefront of our mind for it to work.'_

"Well isn't that convenient," I reply acidy before turning my back to the now confused elf

"Look I know neither of us enjoys this situation but we will have to work together if we have any hope of killing Galbatorix. You may be powerful but he is the most skilled mind mage Alagaesia has ever born witness to. If you agree to aid us you may even be rewarded. I'm sure given time our spellweavers could even free you from the bindings entrapping you within Karns body." Arya pleaded

Growling angrily I turn back to face her again.

"Fine then, you've made your point just stop your pathetic mewling. I already loathe the prick as it is, you need not convince me any further. Until you've earned the right just refer to me as Kyuubi. Now can we get on with this already, being crammed within this pathetic meatbag isn't exactly an enjoyable experience. Id prefer to minimize the time I have to be stuck within it."

 _'Well excuse me, had I known I'd be playing host I would have spruced up the place.'_ Karn replies jokingly

"And If I have to listen to this idiot talk any more than I have, I may just try decapitating myself." I add half seriously while my fingers clench the bridge of my nose in anger

"Alright look, before I talk about what our next move should be I need you to swear an oath that you won't reveal any secrets to the empire."

"Fine, sure whatever. Let us just get on with it already." I sigh defeatedly

XxxxX XxxxX

"So you are betting that this single dragon egg will be that important? I find it highly unlikely since Galbatorix seems to have already killed an entire order of these riders of yours." I say skeptically.

The elf and I had been talking while we ran to the spot she teleported the egg to. For some reason, I felt that there was still a lot that the elf wasn't saying and it was getting on my nerves.

"He killed most of the riders through trickery, underhanded magics, or through his forsworn. With you aiding us our chances of killing him are better than they have been in centuries. If what you say is true and you really did tear through Galbatorix's wards then you will be key to any plan that involves killing him. Even a single rider can make all the difference for the final confrontation and it is best we do all we can to increase our chances of success. If we can manage it then the rebellion will need additional time to gather its armies for a final confrontation." Arya replies easily while sprinting full speed to match my pace.

"Assuming that this dragon egg will even hatch at all in the near future, how long would it take for them to become effective enough to truly make a difference. And with how slow you mortals can be, raising armies could take years and that is unacceptable."

"Would you rather take the king on by yourself? Because I can assure you that you will fail. Just have patience and all of this can hopefully be resolved in a few years." Arya says placatingly

I roar and stop abruptly, causing the elf to almost trip behind me.

"YEARS! You're seriously telling me that your plan has me trapped in this shell for years. Fuck this, Karn you deal with this. I'm not spending a single second more with the blasted elf." I say angrily before shunting the unprepared human back to the forefront of our body.

The two begin talking once more but I tune them out the best I can from inside. Being shackled to the pathetic human body was bad enough but knowing that It might take years to be free of it set a bad taste in my mouth. At least I didn't have to deal with the outside world if I didn't want to. It was about the only good use the human had at this point and I was not above shoving responsibility onto his shoulders for the boring parts of this thrice-cursed quest.

Three hours into my nap I find myself thrust back into the forefront. In front of me drops from the sky a creature of tightly corded muscles, large, leathery wings, strong hind legs, and a thick hide. It screeched at me and proceeded to rip a chunk of my arm off in its massive beak before I had time to fully comprehend the situation.

"MOTHER- SON OF A-, KARN YOU PIECE OF." I yell in pain and anger before the giant hairless dog creature bites my head and a large portion of my torso clean from my body and swallows it whole.

AN: No story of mine will remain dead. This one, however, is not to be taken seriously and I write it only as a means to practice writing and for my own amusement. That being said Please add comments to your heart's content, I'll answer whatever questions pop into the thread when I can.


	6. Chapter 5: Internal Conflicts

"You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality."  
\- Ayn Rand (1905-1982)

The world fell away as an all-encompassing, mind shattering, pain-racked the mangled remains of my body. Every nerve ending burned as if fire were being injected straight into my blood. The soul whose body I wore drowned with me in the pain, somehow sharing in my torment as our connection passed control involuntarily between us in rapid succession. There was no sight in the burning blackness, all sound was muffled and the only other sensation was a sort of vertigo as the world seemed to shift to and fro. Gradually the pain levels out as the warm wet fire around me finally manages to outpace the constant regeneration of my body, destroying nerves before they can send their signals. The numbness gives me an opening to concentrate and at my command Chakra pours forth from the wreck my human body had become. A river of power courses through my body, so potent and dense as to burn my flesh from the inside just as it was being burned from the outside. The chakra cloak shrouds my form leaving only a small portion of human trappings safe inside.

With a roar of triumphant victory my claws, my TRUE claws, rend the flesh from the creature that had dared swallow me. The end result was not a pretty sight and it was safe to say that the creature was dead by the time I was through. The only problem was that the beast had apparently been flying when I had made my bloody escape and I was now free falling to the ground that seemed miles away.

It took nearly a full minute to reach the ground, tree branches broke a majority of the fall and when I finally smashed into the earth I allowed myself to relax. The pain was gone and my body was more chakra construct than it was flesh and bone at this point, its shape resembling my true form only an order of magnitude smaller.

The core of my being still had the annoying bit of human flesh that was constantly trying to pull itself back into shape. At the moment my constant outflow of destructive chakra was just enough to halt the overtake and I know that any lapse of focus would send me straight back into the fragile form of Karns body. Speaking of which…

 ** _What the hell was that all about! Why didn't you give me any warning on what was going on!_**

Karns presence within me was greatly weakened and thoroughly traumatized by the experiences we had just shared but eventually after a few minutes to compose himself he eventually answered.

"I-I don't, there wasn't time. I-I just reacted, they ambushed us and...Oh shit, do you think they got Arya? Shes fast so maybe she got away but goddammit everything is just so fucked up." Karn whimpered pitiably

 ** _Those creatures, you know what they are. Tell me and then we will figure out what to do from there alright._** I reply stoneley to the traumatized human soul

"Alright, okay. I think those things were the Razac. They are a sapient species whom hunt humans and willingly serve Galbatorix. They are nearly extinct though, I heard rumor that there are only half a dozen at MOST throughout the kingdom and I think there might actually be fewer than that given how unreliable the sighting reports tend to be." Karn manages to whimper out

 ** _Alright good to know. Now, do you have any idea where we are or even how long we were inside that beast?_**

"No clue, everything was just one long blur of pain for me. My best guess is that we were taken south toward the interior of the empire but I can't be sure. Also what have you done to our body, it feels off somehow and...are those tails?"

 ** _Indeed, though not my full set sadly. This is close to my true form, and I have to say it is so much better than that wreck you call a body. How do you humans even live like that, so few appendages and so many distracting sensations. I don't think I will ever become accustomed to the level of pain you humans experience and-"_** I pause a moment when a realization strikes me about what will occur once my control slips.

"What? Sounded like you were going to say something else but-"

 ** _I've just realized how much it's going to hurt when we have to regrow nearly the entirety of your body._**

"...Ya know I could get used to tails, can we just not and leave things like this?" Karn pleads with trepidation

 ** _I'm having to constantly force chakra through your body to keep from reverting back. If I lose concentration we will revert and I will have to sleep eventually._**

"Lets...let's just get our bearings and worry about that when we have too. Today has been bad enough and I really don't want to think about this right now. Although I have to ask, how long can you go without sleep?" Karn asks with a sign

 ** _A handful of days, perhaps a week or two if I stretch it. Until then just get yourself into one piece and stay quiet for a while. This may be the last time I enjoy this form for a long while, even reduced as it is._**

Blissful silence follows my words and I grudgingly heave myself from the ground and start climbing one of the nearby trees for a vantage point. What I find are just endless trees in every direction with no indications of any kind of civilization or reference point. It was going to be a pain orienting ourselves but at least I'd be enjoying a facsimile of my true form while I was at it. It almost seemed like the world was angry at my having thrust responsibility on Karn, and now karma was forcing me to be in control lest I fall back into that insufferable human shape.

As my gaze drifted lazily about the trees something odd drifted into my awareness.

 ** _Why in the name of the sage do those trees in the distance have negative emotions flowing through them?_**

AN: Why does my muse keep making me write this when I want to write a chapter for 'Monsters in Us'?


End file.
